Building Heritage?

[rickb773]

Curiosity question.

I was once told (by someone as old as me) that one of the buildings on my railroad was a rare Revell factory building. I recently picked up a plaster coated (same) building on eBay described as an AHM product. Does anyone remember the heritage of this building?

I do remember being impressed by its detail in the early days on N scale. The "AHM" one has the roof billboard broken off but otherwise is identical.

[peteski]

I have never seen these before - thanks for sharing.  Nice looking buildings. I don't know their history either. But they look very European to me.  While they might have been sold by Revell or AHM, I suspect that they were made by one of the European kit manufacturers (Pola, Vollmer, Noch, etc.)

[Chris333]

Anything embossed on the inside?

[rickb773]

Anything embossed on the inside?

"AHM - made in Hong Kong"

Dah, never thought to look!   

(But I also had thought it was Revell.)

[Chris333]

The Googler says its a ALLIED MANUFACTURING COMPANY FACTORY

[Cajonpassfan]

It's AHM. Had it for years (decades?). Some of the details, especially on the roof, are crude, but the building has good bones for a late 1800's brick structure. Finally putting it to good use on the layout...progress to date. The signs are based on an actual downtown LA business.
Otto K.

[OldEastRR]

Those were great buildings. Built-ups but with not much glue so some of the overkill of details could be taken off. The roof has too much clutter for me so I took off a lot there. The unique thing I remember about this it was the first N scale building kit with scale N size bricks. Plus such great fodder for bashing into wider or taller versions.

[Catt]

If my memory is working correctly the Revell building is a Pola.I think the AHM is too only it was made in Hong Kong.

[Frisco Larry]

back in the mid 70's this was about the only US looking industrial building available.  Always thought it was a nice building, but was mystified by the oil drum glued to the top of one of the chimneys.  I removed it from mine, and found that is was definitely the same part as the oil drums on the loading platforms.

[Roger Holmes]

In 1975 I cut two of them at a 45 degree angle and joined them to build a typical Central Illinois Courthouse.  The dome is a plastic Easter egg sitting on an upturned pimento jar lid which is wrapped in computer punch cards.  The egg is topped with a cupola from a Plasticville HO kit.  Recently I replaced the flagpole on the cupola with a figure of Lady Justice.

39 years later the Courthouse is still on the original part of my layout which has moved many times and I have served in and practiced in many similar courthouses over those years.



For you kids who don't know what a computer punch card is, go ask Grandpa

[ncbqguy]

The factory was part of a series of buildings that Revell Rapido advertised but apparently weren't ready for market before Revell exited Model Trains. AHM released the buildings. The factory is IIRC was based on a Pearl Button factory along the Mississippi. They were all made in China and most were builtup although some were available as kits
Charlie Vlk

[wm3798]

I have an example from the AHM era.  I reworked some of the details, and added a big Butler Building style warehouse addition to it.



The bad pictures were shot during the renovation of my layout, more for record keeping than for presentation.


You can see the addition wrapping around the building there on the left.  The far side of the addition had some truck loading bays and a dock. 

Somehow I managed to avoid taking a good picture of it!

Lee